Michael Brandvold
Category Archives: KISS News
Ace Frehley Tribute band Fractured Mirror recalls first KISS Expo
Bill Baker | AceFrehleyScrapbook.com
“It was 20 years ago today” April 25, 1993……the world’s only ACE FREHLEY tribute band played their first KISS Convention at the Rothman Center in Hackensack, NJ.
Fronted by Bill Baker, who had met and befriended Ace in 1990, began amassing one of the worlds largest Ace Frehley collections, mostly obtained from Ace himself. Bill became Ace’s home – base guitar tech and was the one that did the work on the now famous “Budokan” Les Paul.
In 1992 Bill got together with some friends and formed “Fractured Mirror”, playing KISS and Ace tunes at some small clubs around the area. Bill being friends with Richie Ranno, who ran the Convention, asked Bill if he would want to open for “Strutter” the Kiss tribute band and bring back his Ace Frehley museum that he had first set up the year before. It was the first Con at the Rothman, which was a very large place and there had to be over 1500 people through the doors that day. The band played for a big crowd and went over well. They played every year up until their last time in 1998. It’s hard to believe 20 years have gone by and those were great and memorable times. Bill put out a book on Ace in 2008 that’s available through www.kissmuseum.com and signed copies and more about Bill and his band is at www.acefrehleyscrapbook.com and there are videos of Fractured Mirror on youtube as well. Check them out if you have never heard…….
Short Film About KISS Song ‘Beth’ From Her Point of View
Andrew McMains | Adweek
A classic rock ballad, “Beth” by KISS, that inspired a thought balloon—”Wouldn’t it be funny to hear Beth’s side of the story?”—is now a short film. The four-and-a-half-minute piece from Bob Winter, executive creative director at Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, centers around a 1970s-era phone call between Beth and an actor portraying Peter Criss, the band’s original drummer and co-writer of the song.
Beth is home, cooking meatloaf and wondering when Peter will get home. Peter is in the studio, unable to commit to a time (he keeps repeating a refrain in the song, “What can I do?”) and anxious to get back to recording. He and his bandmates are inexplicably dressed in full costume and face paint, despite being nowhere near a concert hall. Ah, but hey, what says KISS more than makeup and platform boots?
The back and forth turns hostile when Peter, who said he’d be home in a few hours, shifts to another line in the song: “I hope you’ll be all right ’cause me and the boys will be playing
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Jann Wenner asked why KISS is not in the Rock Hall of Fame
Russell Dannecker | KISSonline
The President of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Jann Wenner finally explains why KISS is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
Russell Dannecker:
“We spotted the President of The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame Jann Wenner walking back to his Hotel after the Induction Ceremony last Thursday in LA. So I went up to him and asked him why KISS is not inducted yet.”
As you can see his reply says it all!
Indy KISS Expo Coming up Saturday May 11
The Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo is excited to celebrate its 15th anniversary AND the 40th anniversary of KISS at this year’s Expo! We are ecstatic to announce a two-day event on May 11th & 12th with numerous guests spanning all eras of KISStory…the highlight of which is a pre-expo kickoff event with the Demon himself, Gene Simmons!
On early Saturday afternoon, May 11th, the legendary Gene Simmons will host a spirited question-and-answer session with the fans! You won’t want to miss this special appearance! The Gene Simmons pre-expo event is a separate ticketed event with additional ticket options including a photo opportunity for you with Gene! Tickets are limited. This will be Gene’s only appearance this weekend.
Saturday night’s Expo features former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick and guitarist Bob Kulick! Both Bruce and Bob have rich histories with KISS and will be available for autographs and photos throughout the evening. They will also jam a few KISS classics onstage for your enjoyment!
Sunday’s Expo will feature KISS drummer Eric Singer, and in his first-ever Expo appearance – drummer Kevin Valentine. Kevin was the drummer on KISS’ Psycho Circus album. He also recorded demos for Hot in the Shade and a track on the Revenge album. (Kevin went to high school with Eric Singer!). Fan-favorite KISS tribute band MR. SPEED will also perform.
Record Store Day Special: A Conversation With Richie Wise
Tim McPhate | KissFAQ
KissFAQ interviews KISS co-producer of “KISS” and “Hotter Than Hell”
If you’re a big music fan, you are likely aware that April 20 isn’t a typical Saturday. It marks the seventh annual Record Store Day, a worldwide celebration of the fraternity of record stores and their standing as an important thread in the fabric of local communities. You know, those cool stores where KISS Army members went to buy “Rock And Roll Over” in 1976.
In conjunction with the music holiday, a series of Record Store Day exclusives — including limited-edition vinyl, singles, EPs, and CDs — will be released at participating RSD record stores. One such exclusive this year is a two-LP gatefold edition of New York-based hard rock trio Dust’s 1971 self-titled album and 1972’s “Hard Attack.”
Diehard KISS fans will know Dust as the project that featured future KISS co-producer Richie Wise. Wise sang lead vocals and played guitar in the group, which was rounded
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The 2013 New Jersey KISS Store – TODAY, Saturday!
If you’re looking for great deals on clearance KISS merchandise, cheaper than ebay or anywhere on the net…. or if you are looking for rare, vintage and obscure KISS Collectibles then you need to get down to the KISS Store this Saturday in Edison New Jersey! Come down and spend an hour shopping or all day hanging out with your friends! The food court is open an there’s plenty of seating just to hang out and meet KISS collectors from all over the area!
FREE admission and FREE parking
The KISS Store is:
– A celebration of KISS merchandise and collecting.
– A place to buy, sell, trade and immerse yourself in all that is KISS memorabilia.
– A place to hang out with all the big KISS Collectors in the area.
– FOOD COURT will be open on site – stay with us for lunch!
– ATM MACHINE available on the premises.
– FREE promotional and discount merchandise available!
– FREE Parking!
– FREE event open to the public!
Be a buyer, be a seller….or bring a bag-full of stuff to trade with other collectors or sell to dealers. The KISS Store will have tables and tables of every KISS item imaginable. Dealer tables have already sold out, but if you just have a few things or an armload of KISS stuff to sell or trade, go ahead and bring them – open trading is always welcome!
FREE merchandise – The first 30 people in line when the doors open will receive this FREE 24″ x 18″ x 4″ KISS Him/Her Fragrance Department store display stand-up! A brand new, unfolded item in perfect MINT condition!
Best of all, this is a FREE event! Come down with your friends and family and spend an hour or spend all day shopping, trading and socializing with other KISS collectors and have lunch at the cafe – what would be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?
KISS Store – KISS Memorabilia Show
– Saturday April 20, 2013
– NJ Convention and Exposition Center.
– 11am to 5pm
– Free Admission and Free Parking
Paul Stanley Stage Banter Supercut Documents Deep Existential Crisis
A SoundCloud user cobbles together 45 minutes of chatter
KISS singer Paul Stanley lives in a world where we’re always “just getting started,” where everyone is “hiiiiiiiiiigggggghhh” and one’s biggest concern is catching a case of “rock’n’roll pneumonia” if the clouds dared to come out in the face of so much heavy metal might. Now, thanks to a SoundCloud user named Christopher Armes, you, too, can live in Stanley’s world.
The San Diego-based songwriter has cobbled together 45 minutes’ worth of the glam-howler’s ridiculous stage banter for your enjoyment. And while it is enjoyable at first, the kitchsy hilarity of it all (StSanders’ “Shreds” series comes to mind) eventually devolves into existential dread as you realize that Stanley’s never-ending arena is actually an ever-constricting prison, that the man with the painted face has no sense of who he really is. (That strangely unsourceable accent should be proof enough.)
He lives or dies by the clapping of hands, and so he praises ALCOHo0OO0o0O00LLLLLL and dedicates each NUMBuUuuUUUUuuHHH to a mythologized vision of freedom. Because he’s bored, he pits cities against one another
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KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer to raise money for Oregon Military Museum
KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer will be part of a sold-out benefit on Saturday night at the Governor Hotel to raise money for the Oregon Military Museum.
That the museum, which is two years into a capital campaign to raise $6.5 million for a renovation, will be named after Thayer’s father, the 91-year-old retired Gen. James B. Thayer, is an added bonus.
“I’m honored to be part of this outstanding event to recognize not only my father but all veterans who have sacrificed for our country,” Tommy Thayer said in a release.
Others scheduled to attend the 2013 All Star Salute to the Oregon Military are saxophonist Patrick Lamb, gospel and soul singer Linda Hornbuckle, KGW’s Brenda Braxton, and former Trail Blazer Jerone Kersey.
Three Sides of the Coin – Inside Ace Frehley’s Storage Locker
Michael Brandvold
Gene Simmons new Prank Show “Busted”
Mip TV
What’s New in KISS Collecting – KISS T-Shirts for Spring 2013!
New line of KISS T-Shirts for 2013! Awesome, new, original designs with a good mixture of classic ’70s with the present. All shirts are in stock and ready to ship TODAY!
Producer Richie Wise talks about recording first two KISS albums
On the latest edition of Rockin metal Revival. Producer Richie Wise talks about his time recording the first two KISS albums. And how “Hotter than Hell” might not have gotten the attention it deserved..
“The Second KISS album was a transitional album. It was a Dark, wavy, echoey record that had a real lack of Focus on crtainly my part and I might not have done what I needed to do”….
(The Richie Wise interview starts at the 11 minute mark).
Friends And Colleagues Remember KISS Friend and Producer Sean Delaney
To celebrate the life of Sean Delaney, KissFAQ reached out to some of his friends and colleagues and asked them to contribute brief written tributes in his memory. Delaney passed away April 13, 2003. He was 58 years old.:
“Sean Delaney was a firestorm of talent and passion. He was a tremendous influence on me both professionally and with life in general, and I am grateful to have worked with him, and to have as my friend.
“I learned so much from him, knowledge that I have carried with me throughout my musical career, and beyond. Sean was amazing, one of the most gifted, prolific songwriters anyone has ever known.” — Richie Fontana (drummer, Skatt Brothers, Paul Stanley’s 1978 solo album)
“Sean Delaney was a fountainhead of ideas and creativity. Kiss and Sean were virtually inseparable in the band’s earliest days. His flair for showmanship and flamboyance was seen in Kiss’s live performances, musically and visually. Sean’s daring and indefatigable energy were essential in launching the Kiss juggernaut and defining the band’s persona to their fans.” — C.K. Lendt (former KISS business manager)
“With April 13th approaching, the 10th anniversary of the passing of my good
KISS 40th Anniversary Tribute Album for Cancer Care
Mitch Lafon
There are only ten days left to pledge for the KISS 40th Anniversary Tribute Album for Cancer Care.
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/kiss40thtribute
This album will not be sold via iTunes or Amazon – THIS is the only way to get it. It features the following artists:
1. Bumblefoot
2. Bill Leverty
3. Russ Dwarf
4. Terry Ilous w/ Sean Kelly
5. Willie Basse
6. Rex Brown & Mark Zavon
7. Ron Keel
8. Doro Pesch & Johnny Dee
9. Slaves On Dope
10. Don Dokken11. Mark Tornillo12. Honeymoon Suite
13. Jeff Paris
14. Phil Naro
15. Phil Lewis
16. Chris Van Dahl
17. Ron Young
18. The Feckers
19. Sass Jordan & Brian Tichy (SUN)
20. Eric Carr – featuring his demo track: Eyes Of Love
21. GEOFF TATE
22. Chris Buck
Mitch Lafon
Rock Reporter & photographer
KISS 40th Anniversary Tribute album for cancer care: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/kiss40thtribute
Gene Simmons speaks at kids benefit
KISS bassist Gene Simmons appeared in an unusual venue this past Saturday. Gene’s fans are used to see the monster rocker in full makeup spitting blood and fire on stage with KISS, but this past weekend Simmons made a surprise appearance at a Sioux Falls benefit concert for Sioux Falls Boys & Girls Clubs members.
Simmons spoke on the importance of music as a way to boost self-esteem in kids, as reported by Billboard: “It doesn’t matter if you become a star. If you don’t believe in yourself and get up on stage, everybody is watching. You can feel the power … and it helps you get through life, especially when you’re impressionable.”
Motley Crüe singer Vince Neil was also at the event, speaking on the same issues as Simmons: “Say you finish your first song, it could be `Mary Had a Little Lamb,’ it doesn’t matter, but at least it’s something you’ve played, and I think for kids, they could go into a whole other direction because they accomplished something.”
COTN webcast – KISS Album Covers, Animalize to Monster
Cassius Morris
LOVED KISS DEALER AND FRIEND, HANS PAULSON PASSES AWAY AT 45.
by: Christopher Franchi
On Tuesday, April 2, 2013, the worldwide KISS community lost not only one of the best retailers, but one of the most genuine, honest, friendly, and well-liked people in the KISS world. Hans Paulson, the owner/operator of kiss4sale.com passed away, at the young age of 45. He leaves behind his loving wife Angie, and children Cameron, Alyssa and Zak.
I met Hans when I was a guest at the New York KISS Expo back in 2003. We immediately hit it off and were friends from that day forward. Who could not like a guy with a 24 hour smile, so full of energy, a love for what he did, a greater love for his wife and kids. Just an amazing guy. Instantly likable from the moment you’d meet him.
We went on to become close friends. Even though we were separated by Lake Michigan, we always talked on the phone, sometimes for hours, while I had to endure the sound of his loud tape gun, as he would be busy packing KISS collectibles to send out to the world. It was a sound I grew to love, and the sound that ensured the stability of his wonderful family. This was how Hans made his living. His love for KISS grew into a business, and there probably isn’t a KISS fan out there that hasn’t at one time or another, bought something from Hans’ website. He had it all, and if he didn’t have what you wanted, he’d get it. That’s just the kind of guy he was, and this is why his customers came back again and again.
While KISS was on the World Domination Tour, I was scheduled to shoot the Detroit show for the band, for use in their magazine. I requested a second VIP pass for Hans, who would double as my assistant for the day. He didn’t know squat about photography, but
Bruce Kulick interviewed on theHim.net
Bruce Howard Kulick (born December 12, 1953 in New York) is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss.
I caught up to Bruce on-line for my 10 question interview:
At what age did you discover that playing the guitar was for you?
When I first saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964, I was amazed at what they did. From that moment on, my life has been filled with Guitars and all things Music!
How did you land the gig with Blackjack?
From my being around the NYC area, Michael Bolton was from Connecticut . Easy for us to hook up and then he got a record contract, but needed a band. He asked me to be the guitarist. I really learned a lot about what it was to tour and record on a higher level than before.
Most people know your KISS story, so I won’t go down that road again, though I have a few KISS related questions
Carl Glickman of Glickman/Marks KISS management dies
Grant Segall | Celveland.com
Glickman, 86, died Thursday, March 28, at the Cleveland Clinic after several years of complications from kidney disease.
“He could be a demanding, tough businessman, yet he was everyone’s favorite landlord,” said lawyer Jerry Gold, a long-time friend and tenant of Glickman at the Leader Building. “If someone was behind in rent, he’d say, ‘Well, try to catch up.’ He picked up checks everywhere.”
With other investors, Glickman built shopping strips around the country, bought the Leader and Huntington buildings, owned leasehold rights for Terminal Tower, built the parking garage at the Minneapolis airport and joined many other ventures.
He was reserved and independent. He chaired Ohio’s Democrats for Reagan in 1984, supported the first George Bush’s presidential victory and met privately with them in D.C. He backed both Dick Celeste and James Rhodes, Ohio governors from opposite parties.